The Nigerian Navy has taken delivery of two new ships to help increase its capacities to protect the maritime domain of the country, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle said on Saturday.
Matawalle, who did not state the number of the ships recently bought by the Navy, said the platforms would also be of immense help in the ongoing fight against crude oil theft, illegal refining, pipeline vandalism, and piracy.
A statement on Saturday night by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Victoria Agba- Attah said Matawelle stated this at the Passing out Parade of batch 34 Trainees of Nigerian Navy Basic Training School in Onne, Port Harcourt.
It read, “The Minister of State for Defence commended the efforts of the Nigerian Navy for acquiring new platforms to increase her fighting power against criminalities and illegalities within the Nigerian territorial waters and the Gulf of Guinea.
“The newly acquired platforms would serve as enablers to increase the Nigerian Navy’s dominance and influence in the fight against crude oil theft, illegal refining, pipeline vandalism, piracy, and illegal unreported unregulated fishing activities.
“The new platforms would further expand the reach and coverage of the Nigerian Navy patrol capabilities within the backwaters and the inland waterways, FOB LEKKI, FOB EKPE, naval Base OGUTA, NOP TARKWA BAY, and NOP SHAGUNU that were recently established”.
While speaking to the 1,865 trainees of batch 34, the Minister charged them to hold strongly to the core values of the Nigerian Navy.
